The Department of Agriculture wants to help farmers via their smartphones

(SPOT.ph) To better help Filipino farmers, Department of Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol submitted his proposal for a P50.6-billion budget during the House of Representatives hearing on Thursday, August 25. Part of the proposal is the modernization program, which allows farmers to send their complaints to the department using their smartphones. They can also easily take photos of their concerns on their land, such as a damaged irrigation canal or pest control problem, then the 24/7 hotline can locate them through GPS and deploy people to assist them.

"A farmer using an Android phone can access the [Department of Agriculture] 24/7, and [send] whatever problem he has. He can take a picture of the deceased palay and send it to a [web] site which our people will be managing. And within 24 hours, our technician will be able to provide answers,” Piñol said in his speech at the appropriations committee. The new budget also proposes free irrigation fees for all farmers. “The farmers can’t plant if they can’t pay irrigation fees...The President believes it’s an injustice being perpetuated on the Filipino rice farmers,” he explained.